Clothespin



L. W. STINNE Dec. 20, 1949 GLGTHESPIN Filed Dec. 5, 1944 Patented Dec. 20, 1949 l l'li lq;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN Leslie W. Stinne, Dallas, Tex. Application December 5, 1944, Serial No. 566,678,

4 Claims. ((31. 24m

This invention relates to clothes pins and more particularly to clothes pins consisting of complementary, spring actuated clamping members.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a clothes pin or clamp comprised of two parallel clamping jaws whose confronting and contiguous surfaces are formed with high points intermediate their ends to provide a transverse pivot on which the jaws may rock and the invention has for a more particular object to provide a novel form of spring which holds the jaws in closed position, under tension, yet is so mounted as to avoid contact with the clothes held upon a line by the pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a clothes pin which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble by virtue of the novel manner in which the parts are held together by the spring, which feature has the further desirable characteristic of so retaining the parts as to prevent relative dislocation when subjected to unusual strains.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings where- 1n:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes pin showing the preferred embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pin shown in Figure 1 taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral l denotes a clamp member, usually constructed from wood but which obviously may be formed from a suitable plastic. The member I 0 operates in conjunction with a complementary member H to form a clamp and both members are the same in construction except that the member ID has a semi-cylindrical groove I2 which receives a conformably shaped boss l3, rising from the confronting face of the companion member H. The tail portions of the two members are formed by diminishing the thickness of the stock towards the rear end of the members and by pressing the tail portions together, the members In and I I will rock on the pivot afforded by the boss l3 to open the opposite or clamping ends of the members to engage a clothes line, to receive which, confronting, transverse grooves 14 are made in the ends of the members [0 and II.

To hold the members Ill and H in closed or clamped position, a spring I5 is provided which consists of a single length of spring wire formed intermediate its ends to define an open loop, so shaped that a portion a thereof will lie across the edges of members ill and II and portions 12 will lie across the opposite sides of the members, which latter portions are bent at c to direct the ends of the wire in parallel relationship towards the clamping ends of the members along one of the coplanar edges of each. The extremities of the wire are bent abruptly inwardly at d and enter holes made intermediate the pivotal point and operative ends of the members.

It is apparent that the spring [5 virtually surrounds the two clamp members in alignment with their pivotal point. Consequently, even though the pin may be thrust onto a clothes line a sufficient distance to bring the garment held thereon against the boss 13, the garment will still be out of engagement with the spring and hence will not be soiled thereby, should it be constructed of a material likely to rust or corrode.

Due to the fact that the spring bears against opposing sides of the members at the pivotal point and in view of the anchorage afforded the ends of the spring, there is little likelihood that the members will become separated or dislocated which is the objectionable characteristic of conventional spring clothes pins when the clamping parts are subjected to lateral pressure in. relatively opposite directions.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the invention affords a clothes clamp or pin of simple and economical manufacture whose parts are so assembled that they will remain in operative relationship even when the parts are subjected to displacing pressure and further, a pin or clamp whose metal part is so disposed that it will not, under normal conditions, come in contact with articles held by the clamp.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and means of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a clothes pin including complementary clamping members whose confronting surfaces are divergent from a midway point rearwardly to effect rockin displacement of said members and spring means forming a loop conforming to and embracing the midsection of said members at right angles to their major axes to hold the latter together and extending forwardly from said midsection to lie flush against two coplanar edges of said members and whose ends are receivable in retaining recesses in said clamping members to yieldingly resist rocking displacement thereof.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a clothespin including two relatively parallel clamping members, means for holding said clamping members together forrockingdisplacement, said holding means consisting of a spring member, a portion of which is formed into a loop conforming to and engaging opposing sides of said clamping members at their midsection, with other portions thereof extending axially in a forwardly direction, to lie flush against two coplanar edges of the clamping members and whose ends are "retained in recesses in said clamping members to resist opening action thereof.

3. In a clothespin comprised of complementary clamping members constructed for relative rocking motion at their midsection, resilient jiiiejans looped about and binding said members together at their midsection for relative rocking displacement, saidresilientrne'ans having an exte sion bearing flush against one of the coplanar 'edgeso'f each clamping member and whose ends "are rejtainecl -in recesses in respective clamping members to yieldingly resist 's'aidr'ocking' displacement.

4. A clothespin comprising a pair of complementary clamping members having a transverse fulcrum intermediate their ends, resilient means forming a loop embracing said clamping members at their fulcrum and lying flush against two of the coplanar surfaces of said members opposite their fulcrum point, said resilient means having extensions along said members toward their clamping ends and whose ends are anchored in recesses in -said clamping members toyieldingly resist rocking movement of the latter.

LESLIE W. STINNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

fiNIiEbs'TATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 370,793 Watkins no 12,1907 "13755461 Hopkins sent. '9, I932 2 321, 3 P i l' 'yhfiej8.'; 43 2,330,120 Hagels'tein "Spt."2'1, i943 "FOREIGN PATENTS Number 7 Countr Date, 99,29 F n e De -18.51 30 22,306 Australia Apr. 'z, 19% 

